Christine “Shiraz” Şahin is a dance practitioner-scholar and ethnographer specializing in contemporary Egyptian raqs sharqi (“belly dance”) and other MENAT (Middle Eastern, North African, and Turkish) dance genres. She has a Ph.D. in Critical Dance Studies from the University of California, Riverside, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Delaware, and  is currently serving as Acting Assistant Professor of Dance in the Department of Dance at the University of Washington in Seattle. She also specializes in geriatric fitness and mind-body wellness. Her research has been published in Kohl: A Journal for Gender and Body Research.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Christine’s book “Core Connections. Cairo Belly Dance in the Revolution's Aftermath”

• Belly dance as a tool of empowerment

• The influence of 2011 revolution on the dance scene in Egypt

• Strong connections between art and politics

• How you can support Palestine

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Amina Goodyear began her performance career in the mid-60's at the Bagdad Cabaret dancing nightly in San Francisco's North Beach district during that city's golden era of Middle Eastern dance and until the Arabic clubs closed in that area. She founded her dance company, The Aswan Dancers, in 1975, and celebrates over 40 years of continuous performance and entertainment. She also founded the Cairo Cats, now a percussion ensemble led by her daughter Susu Pampanin, among many other music and percussion projects. Amina was inducted into the American Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (AAMED) Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement award in New York in 1994. She also received a Humanitarian Award in 2001 from MECDA, a Lifetime Achievement award in 2003 from BDUC in Long Beach and a Lifetime Achievement award  in 2015 from Isis and the Belly Dance Chronicles in Texas.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Belly dance realities of 1960s

• Learning to dance under the guidance of musicians

• Giza Club project

• Sexualization of belly dancers now and before

• Biggest changes in belly dance industry over the last 60 years

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Aleksandra Kilczewska, known by her stage name "Apsara Afsanera," is a dancer, choreographer, and alternative model based in Warsaw. She is a pioneer in her country, specializing in Persian dance as well as other Silk Road styles, including Uzbek, Tajik, Afghan, Azeri, and Uyghur dance. In addition to her expertise in these forms, she is also a skilled Tribal Belly dancer. Before delving deeply into Silk Road dances, Apsara trained extensively in various Indian dance styles and has a strong foundation in ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporary dance techniques. She continuously seeks to create her unique form of expression by blending these diverse techniques, drawing inspiration from music, poetry, literature, and film.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Historical connections between Persian and Georgian dances

• Types of Georgian dance

• Benefits of training in various dance style

• The psychology of teaching kids vs seniors

• University degree for dancers

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